Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC), Pakistan’s most prominent automaker, is upgrading its manufacturing plant in preparation for the start of local production of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) by 2023.
Toyota IMC CEO Ali Asghar Jamali revealed that the locally assembled Toyota Corolla Cross will be available in 2023. It is worth noting that this crossover will be the first ever locally assembled Hybrid vehicle by the Japanese manufacturer in Pakistan.
He stated that the company intends to launch its hybrid crossover SUV in the Rs5 to Rs7 million price range, which may not be possible given the country’s economic and overall situation. Experts predict that the Crossover will be priced between Rs9-10 million.
Given the current economic situation and the government’s plan to raise car taxes, Toyota IMC will reveal its final price next year.
Jamali also discussed the company’s plans for overall HEV localization. He stated that Toyota has already invested $100 million in Pakistan to produce HEVs and plans to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in the future when the country is ready for this technology.
Jamali emphasised that HEVs are a midterm solution before EVs because Pakistan lacks the infrastructure for the latter, and that converting all cars to HEVs could reduce Pakistan’s oil imports by up to 50%.
As most of Pakistan’s electricity is produced using fossil fuels, EVs will increase local LNG, coal, and crude oil imports, while investment in improving distribution and creating a charging infrastructure will also be required, according to Jamali.
